Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an amazing range of wagering options and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
